Graduation
by Megaroni
Summary: Hermione's valedictorian speech on Graduation Night.


Author's Note: Ya know what? I was gonna write a song fic about I Hope You Dance, with Hermione giving a graduation speech. But I'm just gonna write the speech. Why? It's a different style for me, so I'll give it a shot!  
Disclaimer: Hermione and all HP characters belong to JK Rolwing, while I Hope You Dance(which is quoted) is sung by Lee Ann Womacks and was written by Mark Sanders and Tia Sillers. That line about the world never being able to get at you if based on Julia's line in our school play "Sabrina Faire."  
  
Good Evening, Professor Dumbeldore, teachers, friends, family, and fellow graduates. Tonight's the night. Can any of you believe it? It's graduation night. After being here seven years, we all have to say goodbye. Goodbye to our friends, our teachers and our houses. Goodbye to our entire Hogwarts family. I realize how cliche that sounds, but it's true. After being here almost a decade, we can't help but be a family now.  
I had the hardest time writing this speech. Why? I had so much I wanted to say! We've all been here for so long, and we all have some many stories to tell and memories to share. I needed a speech that was universal. That everyone can relate to, and, hopefully, remember. But I believe that is impossible. We are all such different people. Different from one another. We're different from the members of our houses. We are all unique people, with different strengths and weaknesses. I believe Hogwarts has helped us sharpened this strengths, and point out our weaknesses. And we're all different people from when we came here.  
Do you remember that night, seven years ago? That September first, when we all had no idea what was going on, or what we were getting into. There were people like me, Muggleborns, who had no idea what was waiting for them, just that they were entering into something so mysterious and exciting, beyond any of our dreams. And then there were the children on magical people. They had a better idea of what to expect. They had heard from friends, siblings, and parents all about the magic that is Hogwarts. But they were nervous to. We all were. Nervously something down our cowlicks, or straightening our new robes, trying to make a good first impression with the rest of the school. Some of us had an easier time than other doing that. But we all found our niche eventually. Whether it was a subject we shined in, or a great group of friends, or a teacher we could confide in, or all three, we all found something that was Hogwarts home.  
It wasn't, of course, all fun and games here. This is the foremost school of magic in Europe and, dare I say it, the world. We were put to work. Even I must admit the workload was sometimes insane. But we all made it through. And then there were the sad times. We live in a troubled and turbulent world. There were deaths. Of friends, family, and friend who were like family. But were prevailed. We triumphed over anything that was thrown our way. This is thanks in part to the protection of Hogwarts. You can almost feel the security of these walls. They're built so strong and sturdy, it feels as if the world can never get at you.  
I was told as I worked on this speech that it wasn't all supposed to be about the past. It was suppossed to be about looking to our futures. We don't all know our futures yet. There are so many decisions we have to make. The first one was: do we live our lives in the magical world or the Muggle world? This question kept many students up at night. Once we decided this, we needed to look for actual jobs, additional training, and, of course, housing. These were some decisions to be made by a bunch of teenagers! But our friends and staff made these choices easier. They helped us choose what careers would play best to our strengths. Some of us are still unsure of these choices. But if we ever find we can't do it, or that we chose the wrong thing, we can always look to our friends.  
Now, onto the advice. I couldn't write this. I'm merely a graduate myself; how can I write advice about somewhere I've never been? So I looked to a Muggle song that gave me some advice when I graduated from my Muggle school. It's a wonderful song called "I Hope You Dance," which advises you never to give up, and that the easiest path isn't always the best. In it, it says "I hope you never lose your sense of wonder. You get your fill to eat but always keep that hunger. May you never take one single breath for granted, and God forbid love ever leave you empty handed. Don't let some hell-bent heart leave you bitter. When you come close to sellin' out, reconsider. Give the heavens above more than just a passing glance. And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance....I hope you dance. I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean. Whenever one door closes, I hope one more opens. Promise that you'll give faith a fighting chance, and when you get the chance to sit it out or dance....Dance. I hope you dance."  
I'm sure we can all relate. So please, as you leave Hogwarts, remeber those words.   
Thank you.  
  
Author's Note: I liked it. Kinda like my graduation speech...that's what I based it on. Please review! 


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